Jimmy Eat World & Taking Back Sunday rock Paso Robles

Jimmy Eat World and Taking Back Sunday brought their double-headlining tour to Vina Robles Amphitheater in Paso Robles on October 19th, with special guests The Beaches. First up was The Beaches, an all-female Canadian rock band. I haven’t heard of this band, so it was cool to see someone new. I was most excited for […]

Two nights of Volbeat at San Diego’s Observatory North Park

Volbeat played not one, but two nights in San Diego on October 2nd and 3rd! After Volbeat sold out their first show, they decided to add another night (since San Diego clearly loves Volbeat!!). They had support from Twin Temple and Municipal Waste. Due to some house restrictions and confusion, I was not allowed to […]

Blue Ridge Rock Fest 2021: Day One

Day One of Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2021 in Danville, VA… This was quite an event to wrap up! Four days, six stages, 150 bands and mounds of obstacles every step of the way for promoter Jonathon Slye. Was Blue Ridge Rock Festival a shit show disaster or a brilliant success? We traveled from San Diego […]

Phoebe Bridgers packs Berkeley’s Greek Theater

Who the fuck is Phoebe Bridgers? The skeleton onesie-wearing singer-songwriter female rocker was nominated for four GRAMMYs in 2020, including ‘Best New Artist’ and ‘Best Alternative Album’ for sophomore full-length release, Punisher. Needless to say, Phoebe Bridgers is one to keep an eye on! Over the course of the pandemic, Bridgers dominated late night TV, […]

Rebel Rock Festival 2021

Day One of Rebel Rock was a great taste of what the weekend of metal and hard rock was going to bring… until it turned out to be the full enchilada. Unbeknownst to all, the festival was suddenly canceled on Day Two right before gates, citing “bad weather”. At least there was an epic Taco […]

An intimate show with Anti-Flag in Santa Cruz

On October 10th, I was fortunate enough to see Anti-Flag in Santa Cruz alongside some other amazing punk rock bands. Oxymorrons started off the night, with a mixture of hip hop and hardcore punk. Oxymorrons are the ‘babies’ of the tour, yet, the way they all connected with the crowd was amazing and spoke for […]

Slaves announce official rebrand to Rain City

The time has come! Slaves has finally undergone their rebrand and is officially now ‘Rain City’!! Being a ‘super fan’ of this band, I’m so excited for this new chapter! This band has gone through a lot of trials and tribulations, rebuilding from the ground up and always coming back stronger than before. They have […]

Enjoying Rebel Rock Fest 2021… until it was cancelled

Well…. Rebel Rock Fest didn’t go exactly as planned. 30 minutes before gates were supposed to open on the second day, we found out the whole weekend was cancelled!! We found out via an Instagram post, too, not a mass email or text… Instagram. Interesting. They said the reason for canceling the event was because […]

Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast, Ep. 59: Rob Hammersmith (of Skid Row)

Air date: Wednesday, October 13, 2021 Top Shelf Music is proud to present another epic installment of Eclectic Soundtrax, hosted by Skunk Manhattan and Victor Ramos! On today’s podcast, we are joined by Rob Hammersmith, drummer for multi-platinum selling rock band Skid Row. Rob’s musical journey began at an early age after a family trip […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Donovan Keith “Mine”

Donovan Keith returns with a signature blend of soul, rock and funk with “Mine”, the latest single off of his debut solo album. Premiering exclusively on Top Shelf Music today, “Mine” is a passionate track with contagious energy and multiple layers to uncover. It proves relatable to anyone who’s found themselves longing for something lost […]

Attending BeachLife Festival 2021

After canceling its second year in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BeachLife Festival returned to Redondo Beach for an epic three-day music event, featuring a diverse lineup on a beautiful, laidback beach setting for all kinds of music lovers. With plenty of space and keeping an intimate, comfortable fee, BeachLife offered four stages hosting […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Joker’s Hand “Goth Girlfriend”

Retro rockers Kevin Kawano and Matthew Lau of Joker’s Hand return in their devilish new single “Goth Girlfriend”, premiering today only on Top Shelf Music ahead of its October 4th public release! The duo — having previous accolades from Los Angeles-based radio stations, such as KROQ, for their “Anthem”, “Gold Rush” and “Hijacked” tracks — […]

Employed To Serve releases metal masterpiece, ‘Conquering’

I would like to preface my following article by stating clearly that hardcore metal is not typically in my current rotation of music. Sure, I love the occasional Incendiary or Behemoth, but on a day-to-day basis, I find myself listening to much lighter sounds. Maybe it’s my age, but I really have to be in […]

Alt rocker Betty Moon talks latest album, ‘COSMICOMA’

Los Angeles-based songwriter and producer Betty Moon has racked up 10 full-length albums since the start of her career, with her latest COSMICOMA out last May. Self-produced in her southern California home studio (with the help of longtime friends and collaborators Justin Smolian and Owen Barry), the album harkens back to her earlier sound, mixing […]